Adolescence

Everyone is praising the acting, cinematography, and the astonishing technical achievement of filming an entire episode in a single continuous shot. And rightfully so. But in the end, what moved me the most in this real-time drama was something far more intimate-the heartbreaking realization of a father who comes to understand that he doesn't truly know his own son.

What can we really do as parents? How much control do we have over the people our children become? Are we responsible for both their virtues and their failings? These are the profound and unsettling questions at the heart of this masterfully crafted slow-burn drama. Every element-its pacing, its visual language, its raw performances-works in perfect harmony to confront us with this timeless, universal dilemma.

I don't normally write a review but I decided to write this because EVERYONE should watch Adolescence. It is a rollercoaster of a show. Every episode takes you down a different rabbit hole. The writing is impeccable. The characters are perfectly executed by the actors. Episode one was heartbreaking, episode two had me holding my breath as I watched it, episode three was shocking and unexpected and episode four was heartbreaking all over again. I am most certainly going to sit and watch this again as I feel that there is such complexity and depth that I will see even more next time round. Congrats to everyone involved in this project- it is flawless!

What an amazing performance from a newcomer. Single, continuous shots, and he hold his own for 50+ minutes an episode. Owen Cooper is a prodigy.

Owen Cooper is the breakout star of Netflix's "Adolescence," a gripping drama featuring Stephen Graham. This 15-year-old from Manchester makes his on-screen debut as Jamie Miller, a young boy accused of a shocking crime. His performance is drawing considerable attention, with many predicting a bright future for the young actor. The series delves into the intense turmoil faced by Jamie and his family, and Cooper's portrayal captures the complexities of a teenager caught in a harrowing situation. He has gone from a normal school boy, to the lead in a high profile netflix drama.

Not sure what all the hype was about, I was disappointed. The trailer was intriguing and made the show look interesting so I wanted to check it out.

All the actors casted were great but the show didn't live up to its potential. With all that talent, the show could have been much better.

The first two episodes were engaging and grabbed my attention. It was a unique start and I was looking forward to see how it all ended.

But as I continued to watch, then the story fell flat. All the build up from the first two episodes was misleading.

The last two episodes were uninteresting and didn't wrap up the story very well.

Did we love him enough, or love him wrong?

Were we too strict, or not strong?

Did we push him too far, expect too much?

Or did we not push him enough?

Did he hide his pain behind a smile?

Were we blind to it all the while?

Did we listen, or just assume?

Did he feel safe in his own room?

Was it the school, the friends he had?

Was it us, were we just bad?

Did we fail him, let him down?

Did he drown while we weren't around?

Was it the screens, the world online?

Did it tell him, "You're not fine"?

Did words on a phone cut too deep?

Did they steal his right to weep?

Could we have stopped it, if we knew?

If we had held him, pulled him through?

If we had said, "We're here, just talk," Would he have stayed, taken one more walk?

Who do we blame? The world? Ourselves?

Do we lock the past on dusty shelves?

Or do we ask, do we learn, So no more Jamies fail to return?

"Adolescence" is a wound so real, A story that makes you stop and feel.

A parent's grief, a lesson told, A tale too heavy to let go cold.